In a group as tight as Pool Three the term bonus points does not do justice to the value of winning with something extra. On an unusually bright and calm day in Limerick, Munster sorted themselves nicely with six tries and a performance that they badly needed to take them top of the pool. It was high-tempo stuff, the way they want to play and they way they are hardest to defend against.

If they looked ordinary against Leinster two weeks ago and rusty against London Irish last weekend they were neither here today. The downside was the removal of Jerry Flannery and Paul Warwick – who looked in a bad way – in the last quarter. For Flannery to have hobbled off a few minutes after he came on for his first run of the season was a personal disaster, such has been his ongoing saga on the injury front. We will see what happens next.

As for Warwick, it had been a big call by Tony McGahan to leave him out last week, and the player had made his point here with a good game going forward, if less so going backwards. Not that Munster spent too much time on the back foot.

Damien Varley had another big carrying game, as did Tony Buckley whose progress continues apace. Not long ago Irish fans wondered if there would be life in the front row after John Hayes. He has taken his time but at last Buckley is looking a model for the job.

And Johne Murphy, too, is making himself very useful with a World Cup down the track. From wing to full-back – his favourite position – and now to inside-centre, Murphy is cheerfully doing every job being asked of him.

It was a decent game while the contest lasted, especially the first half, despite being extended by fully 10 minutes because of referrals upstairs. Three times Graham Hughes was asked by Wayne Barnes to sort out whether the ball had been grounded or not, and all of them involved Munster attacks. That told you something of the trend of the game, and that only one of them came back positive indicated how far Munster could have been ahead at the break. As it was they enjoyed a 21-10 lead at that stage and even then you could not see how Toulon would get back into the game, let alone get close enough for the bonus point. Already they had lost Paul Sackey to injury, and when they came out for the second half it was without Pierre Mignoni as well.

That robbed them of two influential players, especially Mignoni who had kept them ticking over. The arrival of Jonny Wilkinson, though, changed their shape completely. Along with Contepomi they then had two quality playmakers. Not for too long, though. Contepomi was sent to the bin on the hour mark for obstructing Keith Earls, who was chasing his own grubber into the Toulon 22. A minute later Munster had secured the bonus point with Mick O'Driscoll touching down. For a few moments it looked like Mr Barnes was going back upstairs again, and perhaps the frequency of his first-half referrals dissuaded him.

That signalled the end of the contest and by the time Contepomi came back on the field Toulon were trailing 38-13. All of which was a country mile from where they had started. Most teams coming to Thomond Park in the Heineken Cup hope to get through the first quarter without sustaining the sort of damage that can be fatal. Very few get off to the flyer effected by Toulon. From a dodgy looking pass by Mignoni off the first lineout in the game, Joe van Niekerk timed his run perfectly in midfield to put the hooker Jean-Philippe Genevois over from 25 metres. One minute gone and five points to Toulon, which became seven with the conversion.

Munster appeared more annoyed with themselves than anything and set about fixing things. Peter Stringer had a fine game and kept them going forward. It was just when they got to the last five metres that the confusion materialised. Denis Leamy exposed some naive defending to level the game on nine minutes, and after two knock-backs from upstairs Buckley gave them the lead on 26 minutes with a typical barge.

Doug Howlett scored a cracking counterattacking try just before the break and it was comfy enough for Munster in the second half. The only discomfort was those injuries, which combined with suspensions will put them under pressure to deliver in the Magners League, but this win puts them where they want to be in Europe.